Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-12-25
LIARS AND LYING.
ELLA WHRELER'S TALK ABOUTTHE ART
DECEPTIVE.
Liars are Born not Notwithstanding Lies That do
not C~o1nt-Lyng 3 DssaSs-Liss That are
Excused BY the World.
copyrighted, lsS7.l


LET him who is without sin cast the
first stone"
We are all liars to a greater or less de-
gree, bat that lamentable fact does not
lessen the enOrmity of the crime.
/ once saw a charming lady, in the pres
enoe ofseveral guests whom she had been
delightfully."- entertaining, take acard from
her servants hand, sean it with a slight
frowp, and return it saying, Tell the
gentleman l have gone to bed with a
violent headache" The servant bowed
and conveyed the mesSage--thus increasing
the number of liars by "
Fashionable lies OF this kind are not
supposed to CUNT in the catalogue OF sins,
but 1t seems to me they are like parasites
which destroy the delicate leaves OF a plant
after a time. They iDjure and blunt the
finer perceptions of right and wrong.
A gentleman laid q wager with a lady
the other evening that she could not live
through the following day without lying,
unless she hurt the feelings Of some Of her
friends by seeming rudeness.
She lost the wager, declaring that she
found polite lies absolutely necessary, IS
he had said. | dot believe them necessary,
however, and l am confident we would win
and retain more friends IN the long run if
We built our daily lives on a foundation of
absolute truthiulDess.
The moment l detect mar or woman in
a lie, however trivial, my interest and re-
spect is lessened, aad | am sure other peo-
pie are Influenced in the same way.
The moment my own lips have uttered
a polite lie | feel . decided ~lessening of re-
gard for myself, and an conscious that
silence or tact could have saved me from
the foolish error.
The liar who possesses a good memory
may make q success of his profession tor
years without detection. 1t is seldom,
however, thar the art OF lying and the art
OF remembering are combined In one per-
son.
| remember q woman IN my " probes
sion, who told ne IN our first interview
that she had received $40 for a short article
which had recently appeared. On cur
second meeting she spoke Of the matter
again, and said she received $50 for it. A
few days later l heard her mention it 10 a
third party as having brought her S25. /
learned aiterward that she was paid $l5
for the article. Had she recollected her
first statement might never have doubted
her word.
Lying is like the opium habit. | have
known people who began 10 tell white
lies" for convenience, and ended by be-
coming tue most absolute ard shameless OF
liars on every occasion.
In some cases lying is a disease, and
should be treated as such.
l know two ladies who are otherwise ex-
cellent in character, and both are valuable
members of society. One is a devout
church-member in high standing, and fore
most in all good works of charity.
Both these ladies seem physically and
morally unable to tell the truth. When
the truth would better serve their pur-
poses, they choose u lie. They harm no
one but themselves, ~ their lies are never
malicious, and :etsr usually to their own
affairs.
One Of these ladies IS foad of telling the
most marvellous stories of herself and her
friends, their remarkable adventures, their
| extensive wealth, their wide travels, their
intimate acquaintance with renowned peO-
pie. If you repeat these fairy stories after
her you cover yourself with humiliation,
as they are almost entirely fabricatiOns Of
her brain. Ii you diSprove her statements
TO her face she looks you in the eyes, and
smiles, and emphatiCally declares you mis-
understood her words. Her conversation
issparklinga and bright, and you are amused
and entertained highly, until you discover
her gift tor improylsing.
The other iady's talent runs more 10 a
mercantile channel. She makes q purchase
in yOnr presence for which she pays $40.
Let z third person enterthe loom, AID she
declares smiIiOgly that SHE has Just paid
$50 for the article. II you correct her she
insists that you are mistaken. Her doctors
and dentists bills, her servants wages,
| the price Of her bonnets and boots, are all
subjects OF exaggerated statements. She
has, like the majority of liars, u memory
like q sieve, and consequently contradicts
herself q dozen times in as many hours.
her friends alt acknowledge her unfor-
tunate psCuliarity, but she is 50 kind
hearted, and possesses 80 many other ad,
mirahlc traits, that she is tolerated ia spite
OF her lies.
l. seems 10 me both Of these ladies need
the SeriOuS attention OF some specialist on
diseases Of the brain.
| have heard an opinion expressed that
wOmen are less frank and truthful than
men. II this is true, it is due TO their
education. Women are taught to conceal
and men TO reveal their true natures from
the cradle up. Women are taught that
the world expects them to be statues OF
decOrum, and that it is merciless to tue
one who by word, atmosphere, or act in
dicatcs that she could step down from her
pedestal.
Man is taught that he is q human being
of varied passions, liable to fall into error,
which the world quickly torgets ard for
gives. lie tells the truth about his nature
aud his temptations, aud the world listens,
sympathizes, and admires.
Woe unto the woman who, no matter
how tree from sin, confesses to her best
friends that she has ever in thought, even,
been stirred from her role OF absolute
deCorunl. She is forever more branded
doubtful" Consequently she hides
from the world, and, If necessary. hes to
conceal her real human self from detection.
l have heard the objection offered that if
all speak absolute truth we must speak i'll
of many people. | do not believe il.
There is no human being so depraved that
good cannot ne spoken OF him. 1t would
be an interesting experience II We should
all experiment TOR an entire month in
finding the excellent quality to mention in
each person We meet, aod keeping silence
c~oucernirg his or her faults.
Silence, however, is often made to serve
rs the helpless haUImaid OF iiars. l can
| imagipe La more desgjcah'e lie than the
one conveyed by silence when speech IL
needed 10 defend the reputation OF some
victim of malice or envy. Many "a name
has b@an Swallowed By the significant silent
lie OF one who shonli have spoken the
word Of defence. / ana alrsid this is a
phase Of falsehoOd more feminine than
/ masculine.
LAR, Ike poets, are more frequently
born than made; but certain methods Of
. - 100.